Garment



5. FOX

GARMEN T Filed Aug. 20, 1938 'July 21, 1942.

INVENTOR 5AMI/EL Fax A ORNEY Patented July 21, 1942 TUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT Samuel Fox, New York, N. Y.

Application August 20, 1938, Serial No. 225,874

7 Claims.

This invention relates generally to garments. More particularly, my invention relates to improvements in the construction of such types of garments as shirts, blouses, bathing suits, underwear and the like.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved garment construction of the character described having means designed to prevent undesirable pulling up or bulging of the waistline portion.

Another object of my invention is to provide a garment construction of the character described provided with an integral crotch portion of improved construction and designed to fit different sized wearers.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved garment construction of the character described which shall comprise relatively few and simple parts, which shall be easy to assemble, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which, at the same time, shall be highly efficient and practical for the purposes intended.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which are shown various possible embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a garment constructed in accordance with my invention and having a portion thereof broken away to disclose the interior construction;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the garment shown in Figs. 1 to 3, illustrating one of the features of my invention;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view, similar to a portion of the Fig. 4 disclosure, but illustrating a modified form of my invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, I have illustrated my invention as applied to men's shirts, but it is'understood that my invention is as for example, blouses, bathing suits, underwear and the like. v

As shown in Figs. 1 to 6, the shirt may com-- prise a front portion l0 and a back portion ll joined at the sides by seams I4 and, if desired, may be provided with sleeves l5 and an attached soft collar 16 of usual construction known to the art, or the shirt may be sleeveless and have a detachable collar.

The front portion III of the shirt comprises an upper part Illa and a lower part lllb separated by a waistline portion I00 and may be constructed so as to open from the neckband to the bottom thereof, as shown in the drawing, or it may be of the type partially open and which is worn by slipping on over the head. The back ll comprises an upper part Ila and a lower part llb separated by a waistline portion lie. The waistline portions Illa and 0 are in alignment.

To prevent undesirable upward slipping movement of the shirt in the vicinity of the waistline area, which ordinarily occurs when the wearer changes from a sitting to a standing Position or when otherwise bending, I have provided a waistband member I5. The said waistband l5 may be fixedly attached to a shirt by rows of stitching 36 extending horizontally across the inside of the back ll disposed at the waistline portion He and continuing for a relatively short distance across portions of the inside of the front ill at the waistline portion Illc, as shown, leaving tab portions 15a and |5b of the waistband l5 free and unattached. The free tabs l5a and 151) may be provided with any suitable cooperating fastening means, such as for example, the buttons is on the tab I51; and the buttonholes ll on the tab 15?). When the shirt is worn, the tabs I511 and l5b are caused to overlap at the front of the wearer and when fastened cause the waistline portions tile and He to hug the body of the wearer to thus prevent undesired displacement and bulging of the shirt. A plurality. of cooperating fastening means of any known type, such as for example the buttons l6 and buttonholes II, are provided to fit various waist sizes. A series of suitably disposed darts or pleats l8 may be arranged as shown, to prevent wrinkling when the waistband I5 is snugly adjusted.

The shirt constructed in accordance with my invention has been so designed that when worn, underwear may be disposed with if desired.

To this end, I have provided a crotch member 20 having a flared enlarged portion terminating in an upper edge 20a and a relatively narrow exalso applicable to other types of garments, such 5 tending portion, terminating in the bottom edge 80b, interconnected by a pair of symmetrically curved side edges Me, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The member 20 is fixed to the shirt by attaching the edge Illa to the bottom edge II of the back portion I lb by any suitable attachment means, such as the row of stitching 22. In order to provide a cup-shaped area in the crotch member 20 adjacent the top edge Ila, the bottom edge II of the shirt portion lib may be arcuately shaped, or, if desired, the top edge 20d of the crotch member 20 may be arcuately shaped, or, the said edges 20a and 2| may both be arcuately' shaped in opposite directions to form a concavity of greater depth. When worn, the bottom edge 20b of the crotch member 2. is brought up and fastened to the lower portion Ilb of the front ill of the garment. Any suitable fastening means may be employed, such as a pair of buttons 26 disposed on the outer surface of the crotch member 20 adjacent the Junction of the bottom edge 20b and the side edges 20c and designed to be received in suitably positioned pairs of buttonholes 21 disposed in the lower portion lGb of the front III of the garment. The tuttons 25 may be selectively received in any pair of buttonholes 21, depending upon the size of the wearer.

It is noted that when the shirt is worn the waistband It, as well as the buttons 2' and the buttonholes 21, are concealed from view, in the Figs. 1 to 6 form of my invention.- Howevenin certain types of garments, such as bathing suits and the like, the waistband member l, as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawing, may be constructed so as to be attached to the inside of the back por: tion II, as shown in Fig. 4. But, instead of the waistband member l5 extending across a portion of the adjacent front portion '0, the rows of stitching 36' stop at the seams l4 ,and the free tab ends of the member ii are passed through said seams in any suitable manner, such as specially provided slits or before the stitching of the seams It, as shown, to overlap and fasten at the outside of the front of the garment.

To provide a better and more comfortable fitting crotch member the said member 20 may be constructed with a pair of triangular shaped folded-over or pleated portions 30 extending inwardly towards each other from the side edges 20c and disposed a predetermined distance from the bottom edge 20b to provide a concaved or cupped area, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing, when the garment is worn, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3.

If desired, the crotch member 20 and the back portion l I of the shirt may be made of one piece of material, in which case a pair of pleated portions similar to the portions 30 may be disposed in the area where the seam 22 was disposed in the form of invention illustrated in the drawing, to provide a suitable cup-shaped portion at such area.

To prevent undue stretching of the material of the crotch member 20, at about the portion where it is connected to the portion lib, due to the bias of the material, I provide suitable reinforcing strips 25, which may be angularly, symmetri cally disposed, as shown in Fig. 4. The said strips may extend from the waistband l5 crossing the seam 22 and extending into the crotch member 20, for a predetermined distance.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments aboveset forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by letters Patent:

1. In a garment of the character described, the combination of a front portion, a back portion, a waistband member permanently fixed to said garment except for predetermined portions thereof adjacent the ends which are free and 15.;unattached, said free ends being adapted to overlap at the front of the wearer, means for ad- Justably fastening said free end together, a crotch member having one end thereof permanently fixed to said back portion, means for detachably attaching the opposite end of said crotch member to said front portion, and a pair of reinforcing members connecting the waistband and crotch member, said waistband member being adapted to prevent undesirable lifting and bulging of the garment in the waistband area thereof, to thus prevent the crotch member from tightening up and pinching the wearer.

2. In a bathing suit having a front portion and a back portion, the combination of a waistband member having a portion thereof permanently fixed to the inside of said garment, and free tab portions being adapted to overlap on the outside of the front of said garment, means for adJust-. ably fastening said free ends together, a crotch member having one end thereof permanently joined to said back portion and the opposite end of said crotch member being detachably and adjustably attached to said front portion, and a pair of reinforcing members connecting the waistband and crotch member, said waistband member being adapted to prevent undesirable lifting and bulging of the garment in the waistband area thereof to thus prevent the crotch member from tightening up and pinching the wearer.

3. In a garment of the character described, the combination of a front portion, a back portion, a waistband permanently fixed to the inside of said garment, a crotch member having an upper edge and a lower edge, said upper edge being arcuately shaped and attached to said back portion to form a concaved portion adjacent said line of attachment, said lower edge being detachably and adjustably attached to said front portion and a pair of reinforcing members connecting the waistband and crotch member, said reinforcing members angularly crossing said line of attachment and being permanently fixed to said back portion and said crotch member.

4. In a garment of the character described, the combination of a front portion, a back portion, a waistband member permanently fixed to said garment except for predetermined portions thereof adjacent the ends which are free and unattached, said free ends being adapted to overlap at the front of the wearer, means for adjustably fastening said free ends together, a crotch member having one end thereof permanently fixed to said back portion, means for detachably attaching the opposite end of said crotch member to said front portion, and reinforcing members connecting the waistband and crotch member, said reinforcing member having portions thereof fixed to said back portion, and other portions thereof fixed to said crotch member, said waistband member being adapted to prevent undesirable lifting and bulging of the garment in the waistband area thereof to thus prevent the crotch member from tightening up and pinching the wearer.

5. In a garment of the character described, the combination of a front portion, a back portion, a waistband member permanently fixed to said garment except'for predetermined portions thereof adjacent the ends which are free and unattached, said free ends being adapted to overlap at the front of the wearer, means for adjustably fastening said free ends together, a crotch member having one end thereof permanently fixed to said back portion, means for detachably attaching the opposite end of said crotch member to said front portion, and reinforcing members connecting the waistband and crotch member, said reinforcing members having portions thereof fixed to said back portion, and other portions thereof fixed to said crotch member, said reinforcing members being angularly disposed to prevent undesirable distortion and stretch due to the bias of the material of said crotch member and said back portion, said waistband member being adapted to prevent undesirable lifting and bulging of the garment in the waistband area thereof to thus prevent the crotch member from tightening up and pinching the wearer.

6. In a garment of the character described, the combination of a front portion, a back portion, a waistband member permanently fixed to said garment except for predetermined portions thereof adjacent the ends which are free and wearer, and a pair of reinforcing members connecting the waistband and crotch member.

7. In a garment of the character described, the combination of a front portion, a back portion, a waistband member permanently fixed to said garment except for predetermined portions thereof adjacent the ends which are free and unattached, said free ends being adapted to overlap at the front of the wearer, said free ends being adapted to be adjustably secured to each other, a crotch member having one endthereof permanently fixed to said back portion, means for detachably attaching the opposite end of said crotch member to said front portion, and a pair of re-inforc- .ing members connecting the waistband and crotch member, said waistband member being adapted to prevent undesirable lifting of the garment in the waistband area thereof, to thus prevent the crotch member from tightening up and pinching the wearer.

SAMUEL FOX. 

